The skyline in Balzac is expected to change as structural demolition on the Nexen Balzac Complex will begin in July.
Andrew Hamilton, Nexen Balzac Complex Abandonment and Reclamation (NBCAR) project manager, presented Rocky View County council with an updated timeline of the field and plant activities, June 18.
The Balzac Gas Plant, operated by Nexen since 1961, was decommission in 2011.
“This was partly gas prices and partly because keeping a 50-year old facility operating is brutally expensive,” said Hamilton
To date, 14 of the 75 wells have been abandoned, 15 surface site locations have been demolished, all sour gas pipelines from McKnight Blvd. to Chestermere have been abandoned and two well sites have been remediated.
Hamilton informed council that abandonment of the remaining wells will continue through 2013 and is expected to be completed by 2017. Beginning in July, the remaining plant superstructure will be demolished. He added about 4,000 tons of steel and other metals will be sent by truck for processing and recycling in either Red Deer or Vancouver, but inert debris will be sent to a landfill.
“Everything has been purged with nitrogen so it (the complex) is a non-explosive atmosphere. All the hydro-carbons are removed from the pipe, it’s cleaned and we run different rollers and scrappers through it. So it really is just an empty, inert pipe,” said Hamilton.
Many inert lines will remain in the ground, but areas that are vacant will be available for development or land-leasing opportunities in the future. Any Energy Resources Conservation Board set-backs previously imposed because of the sour gas pipe lines will be null, said Hamilton.
Councillor Margaret Bacheli questioned what will be done with the “mountains of sulphur” in the area.
“We’ve been able to sell to various small users for different agricultural purposes such as composting and to a few chemical companies that don’t need the highest grade of sulphur, but it’s a limited market so a slow process,” said Hamilton.
The most noticeable change is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 1, when demolition will begin on the two smoke stacks.
“This will have a huge impact on the skyline,” said Hamilton.
Councillor Lois Habberfield said she will miss the feature, as it’s been a feature in the landscape for more than 50 years.
“For a prairie person they’re interesting. It is inevitable that the landscape will change but hopefully there will be something redeveloped on the site that will be useful and accepted as well as this feature was,” she said.
Patty Lewis, spokesperson for Nexen, said NBCAR staff are planning to photograph the demolition process and put together a video that shows the work.
“We’re very excited and proud of the work that is going into the whole process, but it’s also a little sad because this marks the end of an era that’s been an economic driver,” she said.
Hamilton ensured council NBCAR “will continue to work diligently as $75 million has been put into this program to date.”
The pipeline abandonment program and field surface demolition is expected to be complete by 2014, but site remediation programs will continue into 2022.
